Mortuary board.



AR. L. KIRKPATRICK & A. NIOLTHEN.

MORTUARY BOARD..` APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25| 1916.

1552375055, vPatented-Aug.14a-,1917.

R. L. KIRKPATRICK & A. MOLTHEN. MRTUARY BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 1916.

1,237,055. Patented Aug. 14, 1917. V Y 2 sHEETs-sHEET 2.

'- TED sTATEs PATENT orTTcE.

RAYMOND L. KIRKPATRICK AND ANTHONY" MOLTI-IEN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. .i

MORTUARY BOARD.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented iAug. 1917.

Application led October 25, 1916. Serial No. 127,529.

To all whom t may concer/n:

Be 1t known that we, RAYMOND L. KIRK- rATnIOK and ANTHONY MOLTHEN, citizens rof the United States, and residents of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mortuary Boards; and we do hereby declare vthat the following is a full, clear, and Vexact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which formA a part of this specication.

' Heretofore, difficulty has been experienced where sudden or unexpected fatalities have occurred, in handling the corpse, and it has been 'the' general practice vof morticians lto use a basket for the purpose, especially in emergency calls, or in any case of transferment of Aa remains from place of death. to undertakers morgue.'

It is a very diiiicult matter to handle av corpse without some sort of carrying means,

and a basket is not only cumbersome and 1n-` convenientfor the purpose, but is generally an unsightly and gruesome object. Furthermore a basket is an odorous and unsanitary means, and requirestwo men to convey it in every instance, whereas the board forming i well covering the same by suitable flaps for the purpose. It is an object therefore of this invention to construct a mortuary board provided with sanitary fabric flaps fand straps, Vand* with means for carrying the board in a convenient manner.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a mortuary board consisting of two thicknesses of the same or di'erent material, with reinforcing members interposed therebetween, and with inner and outer glazed fabric flaps attached on the sides and ends of the board adapted Vto be folded around a body strapped thereon so as to completely inclose and conceal thebody, and

' with hand holes provided in the sides and ends of the board for convenience in transporting the same with the body thereon.

It 1s also an object of'this invention to construct a mortuary board consisting of two layers of material secured to one an.`

other with reinforcing means therebetween, and with a covering of a washableglazed fabric material, or, if preferred, an enameled metal, on the top surface of the board, and

with straps secured between the two thicknesses of which the board is constructed, and

adapted to be buckled around the body to oflglazed fabric adapted to'V be-folded: over the body to conceal and confine thelsame that handling thereof f upon Vthe board so facilitated.

It is vfurthermore an 'importanti object of this invention to constructv a mortuary if It is finally an object of this invention to construct a simple, durable, sanitary, light and portable mortuary board with means for securinga body thereto and completely covering the same, with all'the parts and ele.

ments thereofV readily accessible for cleaning, and, if necessary, easily replaced."

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: i Figure 1 is a bottom plan view Ofade-'L vice vembodying the principles ofourfinvention. p L

Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof, with a body' secured thereon, and with the flaps folded thereover. y

Fig. 3 Vis a detail section taken on line 3&3 of Fig. l.; Fig. t is of Fig. l.

Fig.Y 5 is a detail section taken on line '5 5 ofFigl.

Fig. '6 is a V'detail a 4detail section on line Fig.7 4is atopplanview of the lower-section or thickness of the double thickness board.

Fig. 8 is a top plan View of the board shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view with the flaps unfolded, showing a body secured upon the board.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, with certain of the flaps in folded position.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates the bottom section or thickness of the mortuary board, and 2, the top section or thickness which is glued thereto or secured in anyI other suitable manner. Recessed between said sections 1 and 2, at the front end of the board, is a reinforcement plate 3, having holes therethrough registering with hand holes t, formed in said sections 1 and 2. Similarly recessed between said sections 1 and 2, at the rear end thereof, is a reinforcement plate 5, provided with hand holes in register with hand holes 6, formed through said sections 1 and 2. Just beyond the middle portion of the board, toward the forward end thereof, a transverse reinforcement or bracing bar 7 is recessed between the sections 1 and 2, to stiffen the same. A fabric covering, such as white glazed cloth 8, is secured over the top surface of the upper section 2, of the board, with its margin secured over the edges of the board. Also secured between said board sections 1 and 2, are fabric straps, two disposed at the forward end of the board denoted by the reference numerals 9 and 10, respectively, and two disposed near the foot of the board denoted respectively by the reference numerals 11 and 12. A binding strip 13, is secured preferably by nickel headed nails, entirely around the peripheral edge of the associated board sections 1 and 2, and secured to the board thereby, are inner flaps 14, preferably of white glazed material, with the glazed material adapted to fold inwardly, and outer flaps 15, preferably of black glazed fabric with the glazed surface on the exterior thereof when folded, and end flaps 16, of white glazed fabric with the glazed surface on the interior when folded.

Disposed at the forward endsV of the mortuary board, is a ring shaped rubber or other pneumatic head rest 17, heldattached by a loop of fabric 18, which is secured by a screw 19, to the mortuary board, so that the head rest may be swung upwardly away fromV the board for cleaning purposes when desired.

The operation is as follows:

The body, as shown in Fig. 9, is laid upon the mortuary board with the head disposed upon the head rest 17, and the inner straps 10 and 12, respectively, are then buckled over Vto hold the body securely upon the board. The inner side flaps 14, are then folded over the body, and the end flaps 16, likewise folded inwardly, as shown in Fig. 10, after which the exterior side flaps 15, are folded inwardly over the folded flaps 111 and 16, in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and the exterior straps 9 and 11, buckled therearound. rlhus a compact and easily handled element is aiorded, and difficult passageways, doors, stairs, iire escapes and the like may be easily negotiated in transferring the body.

We are aware that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A mortuary board comprising two thicknesses of material secured to one another, reinforcement means disposed therebetween, a plurality of straps secured between said thicknesses of material and extending on each side of the board, and flaps attached on the sides and end edges of the board.

2. Amortuary board of the class described comprising two thicknesses of material, reinforcement means therebetween, double flaps secured on each side edge of the board, and single end aps secured on each end thereof.

3. A mortuary board of the class described comprising a board member, flaps connected along the side and end edges thereof, straps to secure a body on the surface of the board member prior to folding the flaps thereover, and straps to be secured around the flaps on the exterior thereof after folding the same over the body on the board.

4. A mortuary board of the class described comprising a board member built up of sections, flaps secured on the side and end edges thereof, reinforcement means disposed between the sections of which the board is built up, said board member having hand holes formed through said sections, and reinforcement means at each end of the built up board.

5. A built up mortuary board comprising a plurality of thicknesses of material, reinforcement means therebetween, straps secured between said thicknesses and extending 'on each side of the board, flap members secured at each end and along the side edges of the board, and said board having hand holes formed at each end .through the thicknesses thereof and through said reinforcement means.

6. In a device of the class described, board members secured one to another, reinforcement means disposed therebetween at each end and intermediate the ends thereof,` a plurality of pairs of straps secured between said board members, and flaps Secured along the side and end edgesl of the associated board member.

7. A inortuary board of the class described comprising a board, reinforcement means disposed on the interior thereof, straps secured to said board, inner and outer side flaps secured to said board, there being two iaps on each side thereof, end flaps secured to the board, and a plurality of pairs of straps, one pair disposed to be strapped over a body laid upon the board, and covered by said flaps folded thereover, and the other pair adapted to be strapped over thevbody on the exterior of the flaps folded thereover. 15

RAYMOND L. KIRKPATRICK. ANTHONY MOLTI-IEN.

Witnesses:

WALTER F. AMIOT, lV. DE BREUiL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

